inner tube exploded
 

Hello, i have a 2011 Madone that i purchased new less than a month ago, it only has about 25 miles on it, i have replaced the tires with Michelin pro 4 only because i wanted the red wall tires, i have rode 10 miles on them so far. Today i was trying out my crank brothers mini tire pump that i just got, i inflated the front tire up to about 120 lbs, then i noticed the side wall on the tire says max inflation 116 psi or 8 bars max, i realized i only inflated it 4 psi over and dismissed it, i went to inflate the rear tire up but as i started that the front tire's inner tube exploded, dismounting part of the tire in the process. i checked the inside of the wheel and the tire and found nothing sharp that could of punctured it. can 4 psi over max tire inflation do that? possibly a defect in the tube? now im going to be paranoid of a front tire instantly deflating on my next ride!

ive never had a tube pop unless its way over. found out the hard way my mini electric pumps guage was off (80psi on guage was around 130psi in the tire) but a lot of people run 5-10psi over all the time. id say ensure your guage is accurate and if so probably a faulty tube.

aside from my inflation pop one time every tube pop ive had has been a slime filled tube and i cant fugure that out but i dont use slime anymore even if someone ask to have it put in... i say how about these tire liners instead.

i wouldnt worry just ride and have spare tube on you.

The tube was probably pinched under the tire's bead somewhere.

The inner tube won't 'explode' as long as it's entirely contained within the tire. But if part of the tire bead creeps out of the rim then the tube can expand through that opening and have a very sudden (and loud) rupture outside the tire. Likely causes are 1) improper mounting of the tire so that part of the tube gets pinched between the tire bead the rim, 2) uneven mounting of the tire with part of the bead lower in the rim channel and part of it higher and not fully seated, 3) a defect in the tire (least likely of the three). Tires should be able to handle pressures with a considerable safety margin over their rated pressure - 120 psi in a tire rated for 116 psi should not be a problem.

Try remounting the tire with a new tube. Make sure that the tube is entirely within the tire and no part is stuck between the rim edge and the tire bead. Inflate part way and check that the tire bead is at a uniform depth in the rim all the way around. Finish inflating to the desired pressure and again check that the tire is evenly seated all around the rim.

i bet the tube was pinched like you said, that would explain the dismounted tire, i just put a new tube in it and made sure the tube wasn't pinched, thanks everyone for the replies!

Odds are you have the cause and effect backward. Probably the tire wasn't seated properly and when inflated lifted over the edge of the rim allowing the tube to escape and explode.

In the future inflate to 15-20psi and spin the wheel inspecting both sides to make sure the tire is evenly seated all the way around. You can use the molded lined as references. Do not inflate to full pressure until/unless the tire is evenly seated all the way around.

Note that low spots are just as serious as high spots because the bead dimension is pretty exact so a low spot in one place means slack and a possible blow off somewhere else.

Just for the sake of saying it, it's a good idea to put a little air in the tube before you put it on the rim. Helps keep the tube out of the way when you're putting on the second bead.

I agree with the others. Much more likely to be a bad installation job than a defective product.

Some of those blowouts can be pretty spectactular, especially on high pressure tires. They can really scare you. The most interesting blowout I've experienced was on my farm tractor (front tire) years ago. While not high pressure, it blew a hole you could put your fist through and the tire and tube were shredded like the end of those exploding cigars you used to see in cartoons years ago.